Winter Life: Jumpfest Returns For Its 95th Year
Jumpfest, a 95-year-old tradition in Salisbury, Conn. started, you might say, when John Satre, an immigrant from Norway with a passion for Nordic sports, jumped off the roof of a barn. Soon after that impressive feat of flying, Satre built a rudimentary ski jump, and in 1927, he and his brothers founded the Salisbury Outing Club, which hosted the first ski jumping competition on Satre Hill.
“People were enthralled,” said Willie Halihan, a director of the volunteer-run Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA), the nonprofit group that sponsors Jumpfest and fosters ski jumping for all ages. Next weekend, Feb. 12-14, the 95th Jumpfest competitions will go on, COVID or not, with a roster of both junior and elite jumpers who will compete for trophies. In 2010, the SWSA constructed a new jump to woo the Junior Olympics, and now It’s an unofficial proving ground for future Olympians.
The highlight of the area’s winter season attracts thousands of people — one year as many as 5,000. Like everything else this past year, there will be some changes. Attendance each day will be limited to the first 400 tickets sold, reflecting 25% of the facility’s capacity as required by State of Connecticut regulations. Additional people will be admitted as spectators leave. Ancillary events, like the Human Dog Sled Race and the Snow Ball, have been canceled, and alcoholic beverages will not be sold this year. But there will be food trucks and plenty of warm beverages available throughout the three-day festival.
The focus always was and is the jumping, and that hasn’t changed, beginning with Friday Night Lights — target jumping under the lights. Because the Huma Dog Sled Race was canceled, Friday night’s event will be free. On Saturday morning, junior jumpers from both SWSA and Lake Placid will show what they’ve learned as they compete on the 20 and 30-meter hills. The Development Team, an elite group of jumpers from around the country will compete for trophies at the Salisbury Invitational.
Sunday holds the Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships, where competitors, some of whom you may see in the next winter Olympic Games, seek to earn a spot in the Junior Nationals
Despite COVD, “there’s been a lot of interest this year,” Halihan said. An outside event is something people can do, and most people return year after year. Salisbury takes on a winter carnival atmosphere during the ski jumps weekend. As competitors fly through the air, spectators ring cowbells, which is the traditional European way to cheer on ski jumpers.
Proceeds from Jumpfest help fund SWSA’s junior ski programs and improve its facilities. The organization runs a robust teaching program, with practice two to three nights a week. Many of the participants have gone on to the Olympics or coaching.
“We had royal beginnings in ski jumping with the Satre brothers,” Halihan said. “It would be like Babe Ruth coming in and teaching our kids baseball.” Thanks to those Norwegian brothers, Salisbuy has become the site of future ski jumper hall of famers, and a destination for a winter activity that draws spectators from around the region.
“It’s so unique,” said Halihan. “If you haven’t seen ski jumping live, you haven’t seen the sport.”
Admittance for Saturday and Sunday events if $15 per person for adults; children 12 and under are admitted free. Masks and six-foot social distancing are mandatory throughout the facilities.
Please Support Rural Intelligence
We want to continue delivering the entertaining, informative and upbeat stories in the inimitable Rural Intelligence style, despite a pandemic. But we need your support to keep us going. Please consider making a donation; even a small amount helps secure our future. Support us now.
(If you prefer, mail a check to: 45 Pine Grove Ave., Suite 303, Kingston, NY 12401.)
Support Now